American Tadd Fujikawa announces he is gay

REUTERS - American former teenage golf prodigy Tadd Fujikawa said he struggled for years hiding his true identity before publicly revealing on Wednesday that he is gay. Fujikawa made the announcement in an Instagram post. The 27-year-old from Hawaii is believed to be the first male touring professional golfer to announce he is gay. "I'm gay," he wrote. "Many of you may have already known that. I don't expect everyone to understand or accept me. But please be gracious enough to not push your beliefs on me or anyone in the LGBTQ community. "My hope is this post will inspire each and every one of you to be more empathetic and loving towards one another." Fujikawa rose to prominence by qualifying for the 2006 U.S. Open and at the time was the youngest to play in that major championship. At age 16, Fujikawa was the third youngest player to make a halfway cut on the PGA Tour.